Do you understand the meaning of the word ‘content’?

Over the holidays, our founder and CEO, Ange Dove, headed to the UK to spend time with her family. And while she was there, she had an epiphany about content.

She was discussing Proof Perfect with her sister, who also works in a professional job environment in a senior role, when her sister asked a simple question: what actually is content?

For marketing experts, the answer isn’t complicated. But for a lot of professionals, managers, executives and even directors, the concept of content is actually quite elusive. And perhaps we haven’t been making it clear enough to you, our customers. What does the word really mean? What counts as content? And why is it so important for your business?

The Oxford dictionary defines content as:

The things that are held or included in something: ‘she unscrewed the top of the flask and drank the contents’

[in singular], [with modifier] The amount of a particular constituent occurring in a substance: ‘soya milk has a low fat content’

[mass noun] The material dealt with in a speech, literary work, etc. as distinct from its form or style: ‘the tone, if not the content, of his book is familiar’

Information made available by a website or other electronic medium: [as modifier] ‘online content providers’

Content isn’t just words. It’s images and videos, events and webinars, presentations and demonstrations, reports and books, podcasts and apps. Content matters. Taking a strategic approach is all about sharing this content on relevant platforms to attract and retain customers and boost your profits.

Clearly communicating what you do and the benefits it brings to your clients is one of the most important aspects of content creation. But it’s also about establishing yourself as an authority in your field. It’s about sharing stories that mean something to you, whether that’s related to where you come from, where you are or where you’re going in the future. It’s about thoughtful, timely content that predicts exactly what your customer wants to know next. It’s about transparency and honesty. It’s about making an impact. It’s about longevity.

Our New Year’s Resolution is to make your life easier. That’s why we’ll be going back to basics and showcasing our work to make sure you’re always up to speed. Whether you’re working as part of a multi-national corporation, running a small or medium-sized business or launching your own start-up, we want to help you understand and make the most of content.

What does content mean to you? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for more posts about what we do, how we can help you and the real relevance of content for your business. If you’d like to talk over your content in detail, get in touch with us now.